17 Comments

Ah yarn vomit, always a fun project to have to contend with. I have more problems with commercially wound yarns than my own. I make mine into a cake and don't have an issue that way.

Your shawl is beautiful! Congratulations! It really pops when it's blocked!

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He he!! Good to know that your own yarn and cakes work well. 😀

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Depending on the yarn (Fiber content , source, how I’ll use it), I either hand wind into a ball or wind with a manual winder with the yarn from a swift. I typically don’t have problems with tangles. I do take care to wind loosely in the center as I get started, so maybe that is a preventative measure?

Thank you for sharing your fabulous projects!

Wondering what a “yarn cake” is? I haven’t heard that term for wound yarn before.

🤓

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Thank you so much for the tip about winding loosely in the center. I'll try that out next time. I understand the term yarn cake to mean when the wound yarn has a flat top and bottom. :)

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I usually wind my skeins into cakes with my fabulous winder, made for me by a friend. Sometimes however, I love hand-winding as I find it really relaxing and soothing for the mind. I always start yarn cakes from the middle, everything else from the outside.

Your shawl looks stunning and I love the colour. Blocking really makes all the difference 🥰

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How fabulous to have a winder made by a friend! Are they are woodworker? Thank you for your kind praise.

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I’ve no idea who said the mystery quote, but I’d love them to teach me how to resist starting a project without second guessing that I might actually have the right amount of yarn to complete it. 😬

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I can totally appreciate your wish Cathie to resist a new project when you are not so sure you have enough yarn :)

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I try to convince newer knitters not to pull from the center of the ball and start knitting. It all starts very elegantly but invariably ends up in a mess. I don't have any solution though. I just avoid it. I do regularly hand wind yarn into cakes. I still don't trust the center. Your Stone Croft shawl is an absolute showstopper and Venetian is promising to be one too. So very well done with both of them Jodie! You must be proud. 💝

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I'm feeling better about my yarn woes even more now, knowing that experts like you and Louise have troubles with center pull balls. I'm sticking to using the outside :) Thank you so much for your lovely comments about my knitting. My smile is wide and yes I am proud of these.

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Okay so yarn cake is what my manual yarn winder gives me at the end of the process. Thank you for the explanation! I’m a sewist first, then knitter/ crocheter, so I’ve missed some finer points in yarn terminology!

When I create a ball of yarn, I’ll start with three or four fingers (depending on weight of yarn) and after the winding becomes a ball, I remove a finger. After a while I remove another, etc. Starting that way seems to keep the center loose enough that the yarn comes out nicely.

Happy yarn winding!

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That's exactly it re yarn cakes. Thank you so much for explaining your process. I'll definitely try that out. How wonderful that you are a sewist, knitter & crocheter! :)

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That shawl is an absolute stunner. And I can never end a centre pull ball of yarn without a tangle either, I'd love to know if there's a secret to avoid it.

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Thank you so much for your lovely praise. I'm in very good company then with my troubles of centre pull balls :) If I learn the secret, I'll be sure to let you know!

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I'm going to start winding my cake yarns now because I've had enough with yarn vomit

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Got to love mustard yarn 🧶💛

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My husband and I have moved a number of times with his work. I found knitting groups are usually a great way to connect and build community in a new location. Finding other knitters on Substack has been an unexpected, albeit delightful, experience too!

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